Boltless rail-chair.



, PATENTBD APR. 18, 1905.

I W. H. RISHEL. BOLTLESS- RAIL CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1904.

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UNITED STATES Y Patented April 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE- WILLIAM H. RISHEL, OF DANVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOLTLESS RAIL-CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,468, dated. April 18, 1905.

7 Application filed 3eptember 22, 1904. Serial No. 225,480.

To (tll whom it may concern:

' ville, in the county of Montour and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Boltless Rail-Chair, of which the following is a. specification. V

The invention relates to improvements in rail-chairs.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of rail-chairs and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efiicient one of great strength and durability, adapted to be applied to the ends of rails for splicing the same and capable of firmly and securely connecting. the ends of rails without employ ing bolts and nuts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail-chair of this character adapted to permit the rails to expand and contract without affecting the securing means.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a boltless rail-chair constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a rail-joint. Fig.2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures of the drawlugs.

1 designates a boltless rail-chair, comprising a rail-receiving hanger 2 and upwardlyconverging jaws 3, which are connected at their upper edges with the rail receiving hanger, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The rail-receiving hanger, which is approximately triangular in cross-section, is composed of a horizontal bottom or seat at and upwardly-converging sides 5, which are preferably formed integral with the jaws 3.

The hanger is adapted to receive the adjacent ends of rails 6, the upper edges of the jaws 3, and the sides 5 of the hanger being spaced apart to receive the webs of the rails. The upper-engaging edges 7 of the jaws are rounded and engagethe rail beneath .the head at. the upper portions of the webs and the pres-. sure upon the rails seats the same firmly on the bottom 4 of the hanger and the downward pressure incident to the engagement of the jaws with the head of the rail, and the connection of the hanger to the jaws causes the latter to firmly grip the rails when the same are subjected to pressure incident to a train passing. over them. By this construction the ends of the rails are firmly gripped and are securely held without the use of bolts or similar fastening devices. The structure also obviates the necessity of piercing the webs of the rails for the bolts, and the chair does not require the care and attention which must be given to.

the ordinary rail-joint. The jaws are provided at their lower edges with outwardly-extending attachment-flanges, which are pierced by spikes 9 for securing the chair to the adjacent cross-ties 10. The upper portions 11 of the jaws are slightly convexed, as shown, but they may be of any desired configuration, and the jaws possess sufficient resiliency to admit of the gripping action. The rails may engage the seat of the hanger before the pressure is applied; but they are preferably cushioned by reason of providing a slight space between the bottom flanges of the rails and the bottom or seat of the hanger before the pressure is applied. Sufficient space is provided between the bottom of the hanger and the crosstie to cause a positive operation of the device, but the parts may be so constructed as to permit the hanger to be forced downward against the cross-ties when subjected to the weight of a train. By this construction the entire strength of the device will be applied to the support of the rails, and the downward movement will be sufficient to produce the necessary gripping action of the jaws on the rails.

The boltless rail-chair is spiked to the crossties before the rails are applied. The ends of the rails are then introduced into the chair,

and are permitted a free expansion and contraction without aflecting the fastening devices for securing the chair to the cross-ties.

It will be seen that the boltless rail-chair is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it possesses great strength and durability, and that it is adapted to be quickly secured in position for the reception of the end of two rails. Furthermore, it will be apparent that the rails are securely connected at their ends and are firmly gripped while a train is passing over them, and as bolts and nuts are dispensed with the cost of splicing rails is greatly reduced and the expense of inspecting and tightening the fastening devices of rail-joints is practically eliminated.

The upper edges of the sides of the hanger are preferably welded to the upper edges of the jaws; but they may be riveted or otherwise secured to the same, and, if desired, rivets or other suitable fastening devices may be employed for connecting the sides of the hanger with the jaws at various points throughout the length of the same and between the top and bottom thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the class described, com prising two jaws arranged to engage a rail at opposite sides thereof, and a rail-receiving hanger suspended from the jaws and arranged to draw the same inwardly against the rail when the latter is subjected to pressure.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a pair of rail-engaging jaws, and a railreceiving hanger suspended from the upper portions of the jaws and terminating short of the bottoms of the same.

3. A device of the class described, comprisinga pair of upwardly-converging jaws arranged to engage a rail beneath the head of the same, and a rail-receiving hanger connected with the engaging edges of the jaws and provided at the bottom with a rail-seat and terminating short of the bottoms of the jaws.

4. A device of the class described, comprising upwardly-converging jaws, and a substantially-triangular rail-receiving hanger consisting of ahorizontal bottom seat and upwardly-converging sides connected with the jaws at the engaging portions thereof.

5. A device of the class described, comprising upwardly-converging rail-engaging jaws provided at the bottom with attachmentflanges, and a rail-receiving hanger arranged between the jaws and provided with sides connected with the jaws at the engaging portion thereof.

6. A device of the class described, comprising a pair of rail-engaging jaws designed to be mounted on cross-ties or other supports, a rail-receiving hanger arranged between the jaws and having sides, and means for connecting the sides of the hanger to the jaws.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. RIsHEL. Witnesses:

D. R. VVILLIAMs, HENRY HOWELL. 

